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(L A. LANE L DA GUICE BGA 0R CRUE.

APLiCATION FILED APR. 2R, 9

'5. .1,93 ,557 Fate/med Aug. 8, 19H3.

3 SHEETSSHEET 2.

Gumy",

0. Ax MNE 6i Dl GLHCEL BOX QR CRATE.

Av'rmamm mut APR. 28, au15.

laltexmi Aug. 8, N16.

n s'riifrns ra" eenen.

OSCAR A. LANE AND DUKE GUICE, O GREENVILLE, ALABAMA.

BOX OR CRATE.

Patented Aug. 8, ig.

1,1587.- l Specication o Letters Patent. I Application filed April 28, 1915. Serial No. 24,480.

To ali .whom it mag/ concern Be it knownthat we, OSCAR A. LANE and Dm1GUxCE,.citizens of the United States, residing at Greenville, in the county of Butler and State of Alabama, have invented certain new and useful Improvements 'in Boxes orCrateS, of-Wliicli the following is a. specification.

-T he present invention relates to improvements in knock-down crates, or boxes.'

An important'objectof 'the invention is to provide a knock-down crate embodying a Vplurality of detachable members, which may l be convenientlyfassernbled and separated, in )al highly expeditious manner;

A` further object of the invention is to provide a' crate orbox of the above mentioned character, which 'is adapted to affordv proper ventilation .for the contentsthereof.

further object of the invention is to provide a crate or box of the above inexitioned character, the parts'of which have dc- .tachable interlocking engagement, and are i, provide a crateor box of the above inenheld in the assembled condition, without the 25.-

nails, screws, wire or thclike aid, of separate securing means, such as A further object ofthe invention is to tioned character, which isl strong, durable,

inexpensive to manufacture and light.

Other objects and advantages of the inventionwill be apparent during the course Y' of the following description.

. 'In the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification and in which like numerals are employed to designatevv like vparts throughout the same, 'Figure lis a perspective lview of a crateoi' box embodying the invention, Fig. 2 is a similar :view

ofV the elements constituting- `the same` shown separated and in a partly assembled position, Fig. 3 isa central vertical longitudinal sectional view through the assembled crate, Fig. 4 is a horizontal sectional view taken on line 4 4 of Fig. 3, and. Fig.

l5 is a' transverse sectional view taken on line 5 5 of Fig. 3.

'In the drawings, wherein for the purpose of illustration is shown a preferred embodiment of the invention, thel numeral l0 designates a bottom-member, as a whole.

This bottom-member comprises preferably exteriorly arranged longitudinal locking bars or members 1l, which are. rigidly c`oiinected by transversestrips 12, laterally spaced for providing ventilation openings 13. The longitudinal locking bars 11, es

-more clearly shown in Fig. 5, are substantially triangular in cross-section and 'have inner beveled or inclined faces 14, as siioivn.

The numeral 1f desifnite d c t, s en naemlich.,

as a whole, which are-arrangedat the opposite ends of thel bottom-member. l0, as shown. llach end-mcmbcr has preferablyY exteriorly arranged preferably. horizontal transverse locking bars Vor members 16, which are rigidly secured thereto, adjacent the upper and lou'er ends thereof. Each of the horizontal locking bars'lG, as more clearly shown in Fig. 2, projects at both ends laterally beyond the end-member 15,

for a substantial distance, and has its ends tapered or beveled, :is shoivn at 1.7. =Ar- .ranged inwardly. ofand adjacent the bevrioi'lyarranged preferably vertical locking bars or members 23. having their ends projecting outwardly beyond the side-.member for a substantial distance, `and Ainclined or beveled. as shoun at 24.' Outer strips 2.5 are preferably secured to the strips 21 at their ends and an*intermediatestrip 2G is securedl thereto at a. point equi-distantly spaced from thel ends thereof. Y

'lhe numeral 27 designates :i lcoziier-mem ber, as a vvliole, including transverse strips 2Q, which are laterally spaced foi' provid-4 ing ventilationopenings 2i). Rigidly at- -ends of the strips Q1 are' preferably intea' taohed to the strips 28, vare preferably ex- I terioily arranged longitudinal locking bars or members 30, which are preferably triangular in cross-section, as more clearly shown iu Fig. 5, and have inner beveled or inclined faces 31. The longitudinal loclring bars or members 30 cxtendbeyond the oppo- -site ends of the covcrniembcr and beyond one end thereof for a greater distance, as shown at 32. v

The numeral 33 designates a key or keystrip, adapted to be removably mounted adjacent one end strip 9.3, for contact-ing therewith and with the. adjacent end-member l5. The key 33 is normally held in place by means of a latch 34, pivotally connected with iie the adjacent transverse strip 28, as shown tion, and the upper Yends of the end-members 15 are swung inwardly slightly. The lower beveled ends 24 of the vertical locking bars Q3 now enter the outer openings or notches 18 upon the lower locking bars 16, while the upper beveled ends 24 are arranged outwardly of and in alinement with the o enings or notches 18 upon the upper loc ing bars 16, and enter them upon the end-members being swung outwardly to assume a substantially vertical position. The bottommember, end-members, and side-members, being thus assembled, the cover-member is placed thereon, with the ends 32 of the exterior bars 3l arranged beneath the beveled ends 17 of theadjacent upper horizontal locking bar 16. The cover-member 27 is now shifted longitudinally to the left, for bringing the opposite ends of the locking bars 3() beneath the beveled'ends 17 of the opposite upper locking bar 16. The key-strip of key 33 is put in place, thus-preventing longitudinal movement of the cover-member in that direction, and the latch. 34 is swung to the active position for hold-ing the key-strip 33 in place.

It is to be understood that the form of our invention herewith shown and described is to be taken as a preferred example of the same, and that various changes in the shape, size, and arrangement of parts may be resorted to without departing from the spirit of the invention or the scope of the subjoined claims.

Having thus described the invention, we claim:

1. In a knock-down crate or box, a bottorn-member provided with longitudinal locking `bars Having their ends reduced and extending beybnd the ends of the bottomniember; e d-members provided with normally substantially horizontal upper and lower locking bars having reduced ends eX- tending outwardly beyond the end-members with the reduced ends of the lower locking bars being adapted to be arranged beneath and contact'with the reduced ends of the longitudinal locking bars of the bottommember, said upper and lower locking bars being provided upon their outer sides with notches arranged near their ends; side-members having normally vertical locking bars secured thereto near their ends and extending outwardly beyond the same with the normally vertical locking bars being adapted to be arranged exteriorly -of the end-members and their ends entering the notches in the upper and lower bars of the end-members; a cover-member having longitudinal locking oars extending outwardly beyond its ends, the ends of the last named locking bars being reduced and adapted to be arranged beneath and contact with the ends of the upper locking bars of the end-members; and means to prevent the cover-member from moving longitudinally with relation-to `the body portion of the crate or box.

2. In a knock-down crate or box, a bottom-member provided with longitudinal locking bars having inner beveled faces and extending outwardly beyond the ends of the bottom-member; end-members provided with normally substantially horizontal upper and lower locking bars having their ends beveled andl extendin outwardly beyond the endmembers, the eveled ends of the lower locking laars being adapted to be arranged beneathY and contact with'the inner beveled faces of the locking bars-of the bottom-member, the upper and lower locking bars being provided inwardly of and near their ends with notches; side-members lhaving normally vertical locking bars secured to their ends, the ends of the normally vertical locking bars being beveled and extending outwardly beyond the side-members and adapted to enter the notches in the locking bers of the end-members; and a cover-member-IGO having longitudinal locking bars provided with inner beveled faces and extending outwardly beyond the ends o 'the cover-member and adapted to be arranged beneath and Contact with the beveled ends of the upper 1055 locking bars of the end-members. A

3. In a knock-down crate or box, a bot,` tom-member provided with exteriorly arranged longitudinal locking bars hav ng inner beveled faces and extending out ardly beyond the ends of the bottom-member; endmembers provided with exteriorly arranged normally horizontal upper and lower locking bars having their ends beveled and extending outwardly beyond the end-members, the beveled ends of the lower locking bars of the end-members being adapted to `be ar;- ranged beneath and in contact with the beveled faces of the longitudinal locking 'bars of the bottom-member, the upper and 120 lower locking bars having notches formed upon their outer sides near and inwardly of the beveled ends thereof; side-members having interiorly arranged normally vertical locking bars secured to their ends, the normally vertical locking bars having their ends beveled and extending outwardly beyond the side-members and adapted to enter the notches upon the upper and lower locking bars of the end-members; a cover-mem- 

